Work begins on new galleries wing at University of Leicester

A turf cutting ceremony has taken place for the new £1.5million extension to the Richard Attenborough Centre at the University of Leicester; a purpose-made home for contemporary visual art within a New Gallery Wing, at Embrace Arts’ inclusive multi-use Arts Centre located at the University’s City Campus.

Guests included Michael Attenborough, honorary graduate and son of the late Lord Attenborough, the University of Leicester President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Boyle, and Co-Director of Embrace Arts, Michaela Butter. The scheme is due to open in autumn 2015.

Northamptonshire based architectural practice, GSSArchitecture, were appointed as a result of an architectural competition to develop the design through to the delivery of the project.  The new wing will increase the size of the arts buildings on the site by 50%, creating a series of interlinked spaces which will be open to the public.

GSSArchitecture Partner, Tom Lyons, explained: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting development, which will create a range of high quality gallery spaces to showcase contemporary visual art at the University of Leicester.”

Michaela Butter, Co-Director of Embrace Arts, said: “We look forward to working with GSSArchitecture to create a national centre of excellence for inclusive arts practice in Leicester, to be enjoyed by local people and visitors to the City alike.”

GSSArchitecture Associate, Paul Harkin added: “The existing building is an established centre for the creation of visual artworks, the new galleries will provide a bespoke setting for the display of these works and many others, to be viewed and appreciated by all visitors.”
 
The original Richard Attenborough Centre was completed in 1997, the result of a campaign championed and led by Lord Attenborough.  One of only two purpose-built accessible Arts Centres in the East Midlands for the promotion of arts and disability, it is a winner of a Royal Institute of British Architects’ Award for Arts and Health, and cited as “an outstanding example of universal design” on the English Heritage’s Disability in Time and Place website. To build on the success of the existing centre, the new development will also be fully accessible, and use the latest in technology to enable both disabled and non-disabled audiences to enjoy the very best of the arts in novel and exciting ways.

The publicly-accessible art gallery will deliver three temporary exhibitions per year, giving free entry to the public. Extending the current ‘performance and creative learning’ offer, the gallery will encourage new audiences and communities to engage with Embrace Arts’ programming. The gallery will bring local, national and international contemporary art to eager audiences in Leicester, uniquely adding to the cultural value and vitality of the city.